Kiminobu Kogure
Kiminobu Kogure (木暮 公延 Kogure Kiminobu) is Shohoku's vice-captain and a good friend to Akagi since Middle School. He and Akagi are the only two players who have been on the team for all three years - Mitsui left during their first year, while other players quit the team because they found Akagi's training regimen to be too strenuous. Appearance Kogure has medium length dark brown (arguably black) hair, with a middle parting. He has glasses, and wears the red or white Shohoku High jersey with the number 5. Personality Along with Miyagi and Ayako, he always tries to bring out the best of Hanamichi's talent. He is gentle, empathic, and always friendly, and is almost never seen without his glasses on (that is why Sakuragi calls him "Megane-kun" which translates to "glasses-wearing guy" or "four-eyes"). However, when needed, he shows notable willpower and brutal honesty, such as when he barely flinched after being slapped twice and cruelly insulted by the embittered Mitsui during the gym fight. Plot During the practice game against Ryonan (before Mitsui rejoined the team) Kogure was the main 3-point shooter, and the only player on the team with a reliable long-range shot. This led to Kogure having to shoot some important clutch shots, and he usually could come through. During the Interhigh preliminaries, Kogure spends most of his time on the bench, but will be the first man to be called up if Mitsui or one of the forwards is too tired or injured to continue. During the match against Shoyo, Mitsui becomes too tired towards the end of the match and has to be substituted with Kogure. Kogure takes over as the long range shooter. Kogure also had a role in the Match against Kainan. After Akagi's injury, he had to fill in for Sakuragi who had moved up to center. Abilities Despite spending a lot of time on the bench, Kogure brings experience and considerable firepower to the team when he's on the court. He is the player most likely to be subbed in to replace one of the starters. A pretty good shooter and tactician. He hit a crucial 3-pointer against Ryonan. Kogure can be seen as the sixth man of Shohoku. Relationships Takenori Akagi Akagi is Kogure's best friend since middle school. Kogure always supported his dream of the national championship, even when the others left because they found playing basketball with them is pointless. Hisashi Mitsui Mitsui used to be a close friend to Kogure during their 1st year of high school. He respected him and was very hopeful for Shohoku's chances at the Interhigh because of his skills and reputation as an MVP until the latter received a knee injury that shattered and made him quit basketball for the next 2 years. After Mitsui returned with the intention of destroying the basketball team, Kogure reveals to everyone Mitsui's past. Kogure offered him to play with them, before being knocked down by Mitsui. However with Anzai's call, Mitsui was able to redeem himself, wanting to play basketball. Their relationship returned to its former shape since then. Hanamichi Sakuragi Kogure seems to have an amiable relationship with Sakuragi. He usually praises Sakuragi for his achievements, and Sakuragi seems to be always grateful for his help. When Sakuragi was training with Akagi to score under the basket for the incoming match against Ryonan, Kogure offered to help them since that match would be probably the last. After Shohoku qualifies for the inter high thanks to Sakuragi's last dunk. Sakuragi told Kogure to postpone his retirement thanks to him being genius. Kogure in tears, touched with his resolve, and how he was thoughtful of him, simply told him not to make him cry, since he is a troublemaker. Quotes * To Hisashi Mitsui: ''"Grow up... Mitsui."'' * To Hanamichi Sakuragi: ''"Don't make me cry. You troublemaker."'' Trivia *In the original English Dub of the anime, He with Mitsui and the other basketball players are called their surnames instead of their given names. *It is speculated that his real life NBA counterpart would be Toni Kukoc, due to his intelligence, his versatility on the court and his status as a sixth player. * He was the recipient of Sakuragi's passes when the latter's intentions contradicted Coach Taoka's predictions. The first was during the practice match against Ryonan. It was simply because the latter didn't want to pass the ball to Rukawa and he didn't fail by shooting those. The second was during the real match against Ryonan. This time, Sakuragi trusted Kogure who was open for a 3-pointer, which he made because Rukawa and Akagi were tightly surrounded. The 3-pointer gave Shohoku enough momentum to hold on to their lead, and eventually win the game. * In the Filipino Dub, Sakuragi instead calls him "Labo", which means either dim or blurry, clearly poking fun at him being a megane. Category:Shohoku High School basketball team Category:Characters Category:Basketball Players Category:Kanagawa Players Category:High School 3rd Years